


Romantic Comedy

by Zetal (Rodinia)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: College AU, Film class, M/M, Misunderstandings, romantic comedy clichés
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 09:38:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7569193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rodinia/pseuds/Zetal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam's been cast as the romantic lead in a movie for his filmmaking class.  As written, it's a standard romantic comedy.  But Sam talks to the director, who agrees that it would be awesome to do a movie with a bi lead who ends up choosing the boy.</p><p>For some reason, Cas isn't as excited about it as Sam had expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Romantic Comedy

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this prompt: http://otpprompts.tumblr.com/post/146894542433/person-a-and-b-are-actors-in-a-high-school-movie

“You wanted to see me, Sam?” Crowley took a seat at the desk next to Sam’s.

Sam was taking a filmmaking class, and Crowley was an advanced student who was writing and directing the movie the class would make. “Yeah, you said you were open to suggestions for changes, and what I’ve got in mind would be a fairly big change so I wanted to get to you early.”

“Probably a good idea. What’s your thought?” Crowley pulled out his phone.

Sam cleared his throat. He’d been practicing this since he saw Crowley’s email about script changes. “Did you know that in the history of this class, not a single group has done an LGBTQ movie? A couple of them have included queer characters, but none with an actual love interest.”

“Huh. Us included.” Crowley nodded. “I understand your concern, Sam, but it’s a little late to recast.”

“I know.” Sam had a plan. “So we pull a Pretty in Pink.”

“So…” Crowley tapped a couple things on his phone. “Tristan would be bi, and instead of just being his best friend, Jake is gay and in love with him? And in the end he chooses Jake over Amelia.”

“Exactly.” Sam smiled in relief. Crowley was at least willing to think about it. “I’ve talked to Jess, and she likes it better this way, so she won’t have a problem with it. I can’t imagine Cas will mind. No one else’s character is directly affected.”

“Interesting.” Crowley got to his feet. “I’ll send you, Jess, and Cas the new script tomorrow morning, and give it to everyone else at our first rehearsal unless I hear from one of you that you don’t want to do this.”

“Wow. Thanks, Crowley.” Sam stood up. “Can’t wait to see it.”

 

Sam had an early class the next day, and when he got back, Cas was awake and staring at his laptop. He glanced away when Sam came in. “Have you seen the new script yet?”

“No. There’s a new script?” Sam had thought Crowley was kidding about having it out this morning. He pulled out his tablet and started downloading.

“Yeah, and…” Cas looked back at the computer. “Tristan got changed. A lot.”

Sam found Cas’s discomfort kind of funny. He decided to play dumb. “What, I don’t get the girl?”

“No. You get me instead.”

“Cool!” Sam came to look over Cas’s shoulder.

Cas visibly relaxed. “You’re okay with this?”

Time to let Cas in on the joke. “It was my idea. Thought it’d be fun and Crowley agreed that we could use some representation. Jess is on board, too.”

Cas crossed his arms, but he wasn’t quite fully controlling the smile. “Oh, so you warned Jess, but not me?”

“Hey, your role got expanded, what do you have to complain about?” Cas smirked at that. “Jess’s got… well, not really reduced, probably, but she’s more of a bad guy now. If I don’t end up with her, then they don’t need to give her the redeeming qualities, right?”

“He still did, the only thing different about her role is that when she shows up at the coffee shop, she walks in on us kissing instead of coming in and getting rewarded for being a hot girl who’s not a complete bitch.”

“Oh.” Made sense, really. “Probably better that way anyway, wouldn’t you say? What kind of message is that to send?”

“Yeah.” Cas turned back to his script. After a moment, he turned back to Sam. “Sam, you do know I’m gay, right?”

Sam looked up from his tablet. “Little hard to miss after I had to beat up that asshole ex who tried to break in here, Cas. Why?”

Cas couldn’t quite meet his eyes. “You’re not…”

Sam slammed his tablet down and moved to sit on Cas’s bed where Castiel couldn’t miss his glare. “Are you serious right now? No, Cas, I didn’t suddenly forget you were gay when I suggested this to Crowley. I just didn’t see where that mattered.”

Castiel nodded. “Some guys get weird about having to kiss other actors, and double if the actor’s gay. I had a guy quit a play on me once because of it.”

“Dick.” Castiel smiled, fully relaxed now. “So… there’s a kiss? Cool.”

“Two, actually. One fake to piss off Tristan’s dad, one real.”

Sam raised an eyebrow and went to retrieve his tablet. “Gotta hand it to Crowley, he committed to it. Okay, got it downloaded. Reading now.”

 

By the time Sam had finished reading the new script, he was due at the stage for rehearsals. Charlie, who was running the sound, came flying over to hug him. “I thought there was some subtext in the first script, but making it text is even better. You are awesome!”

Not everyone was thrilled with the change. Brady protested when he saw the new ending that it was ridiculous and pandering to special interests and it made no sense for Tristan to “suddenly turn gay.”

Crowley wasn’t having it. “One: he’s bi, not gay. There’s a difference. Two: he’s bi all along. It’s not a sudden change. Three: your character’s not affected at all, so why should you even care? And four: if you don’t like it, I can write you out easily. Your choice, mate.”

Brady chose to stay. Rehearsals ran smoothly, with Crowley going scene by scene on stage blocking them out while actors not in that scene went through the script memorizing lines. Sam and Cas’s first scene together was the one with the first kiss. “Remember, this one’s fake to Tristan. Cas, Jake’s yours, I’ll leave it to you whether he’s faking being into it at this point or lying when he brushes off Tristan’s apology because he has feelings already. Script could go either way, really.”

Cas chose the latter option, and when they got through with the scene, Crowley applauded. “Not bad. One thing, though. Sam, ramp up the awkward. You’re kissing your best friend who you’ve always thought of as your brother, not the cute boy you met at a party.”

“But this is the spark that changes that,” Sam protested.

“But it hasn’t changed yet. You have a brother, right?” Sam nodded. “Pretend you just kissed him. That level of awkward.”

“Not gonna work.” Sam smiled at the memory. “Dean has no shame and he got dared to kiss me when he was playing Truth or Dare with some girls he was trying to impress. Jerk used tongue.”

“Wow. Okay then. Figure out something.” Crowley smirked. “Hell, forget you’re acting and pretend you just kissed Cas for some reason.”

Sam laughed at that. “I’ll figure out something.”

 

Shooting began a couple weeks later. When Cas showed Sam the shooting schedule, they got a good laugh out of it – both kissing scenes were the last two. Thanks to various delays for actors forgetting their lines, cameras not working, a dog wandering on set and distracting everyone, among others, they were running late and Crowley was getting very stressed. “Let’s get this right the first time, boys. I’d really like to have the climax be the only thing we’re shooting tomorrow. Sam – awkward!”

The first take went incredibly well. Sam noticed how much Crowley relaxed when he yelled cut, and he got mischievous. When the actor playing Sam’s dad started his rant about gays taking over the engagements announcements, Sam grabbed Cas and planted a kiss on him. But instead of ending it there like he was supposed to, he wrapped his arms around Cas and smirked at Andy. “I guess this is a bad time to tell you that Jake and I have been together for two years and you should be seeing us in there next week?”

There was a beat, and then everyone burst out laughing. Everyone except Cas. Crowley threw up his hands. “You’re lucky the first take went so well, Moose. Otherwise you’d be dead. Andy, start from ‘Look at this!’ The rest of you, shut it, we have a shoot to finish.”

There was more than enough awkward for Crowley this time, and as soon as Crowley called a wrap, Castiel stormed away without even bothering to change. Sam washed off his makeup and changed back into his own clothes before going after him. He wasn’t at all surprised to find Castiel at the fountain.

Cas didn’t turn when Sam sat down beside him. “What the hell was that, Sam?”

“Making Crowley’s head explode and creating a highlight for the gag reel.” Sam grinned. “Bonus, I got to kiss you again.”

Cas sighed. “If you’re going to do something like that tomorrow, could you warn me first? Please? It’s going to be hard enough as it is.”

“It’s going to be hard? Why?”

“You’re too good an actor. You make me believe it when you say you love me.”

Dean loved to tease his little brother about his face being actual sunshine when he really smiled and that he should do it more. Sam was pretty sure he had that exact smile now. “I do mean it.”

Cas closed his eyes. “No, I mean… I know Tristan means it when he confesses to Jake. But it’s too close. I keep hearing Sam confess to Cas.”

“Yeah, that’s not acting.” Sam reached out and took Cas’s hand. “Do you know why Crowley wants the whole day for one scene? It’s because I keep losing character. I don’t use Tristan’s voice, or his body language. Not surprised you noticed.”

“And every time, the scene ends, and I have to act like I didn’t just hear you say that to me, remind myself that if my prayer has been answered, the answer is no.”

“Cas…”

Cas opened his eyes and forced a smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll do it, right, with a smile. I learned from Dean just like you did. Just forget you ever heard this, okay? I swear, I won’t make things weird for you.”

Sam blinked a couple times. “You’re an idiot.”

“Sam…”

“I just told you that I’m having trouble staying in character when I tell you I love you. I’m not Tristan looking at Jake.” Cas looked up at him. “I’m me, looking at you. Talking to you. I love you, Cas. I was going to tell you after we wrapped shooting, but I think I should do it now.”

Cas leaned into Sam’s shoulder, and Sam put his arm around Cas. Then Cas suddenly sat back up and glared suspiciously at Sam. “Did you set this up?”

“Sort of?” Sam laughed a little. “I really do advocate LGBTQ representation, and I was going to pitch the idea no matter who ended up in our roles, but when it turned out to be the two of us I took it as a sign that it was time to make a move. You know you were supposed to be Tristan, right? And Brady was gonna be Jake. Not sure why Crowley changed it, you’re a better actor than I am.”

“Jess was too tall.” Cas leaned back into Sam. “And then I end up with the even-taller you.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“No, I’m not. Brady went to Crowley and convinced him that you would be better for the visual, and offered to let me have Jake because it’s nearly as big a role. And Brady took your original role.”

“Think he was trying to set me and Jess up to fall for each other?”

Sam was joking, but Castiel took him seriously. And had a good point. “It certainly makes more sense than him being homophobic and yet working on this project with Crowley, me, a few others, and the revised script.”

“Yeah.” Sam reached up, lightly touching Cas’s face.

Cas caught his hand. “Sam, wait.”

“What is it?”

“Can you wait to kiss me for real until tomorrow?”

“Of course. Any particular reason?”

Cas smiled, and there was a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Pick a take to make Crowley’s head explode. Don’t warn me. I want to see if I can guess.”

Sam wrapped Cas up in a hug. “I like the way you think.”

 

Crowley was shocked at how well Sam was able to stay in character for the first four takes. On the fifth, he dropped character entirely as soon as he grabbed Cas’s arm. “Jake, wait a minute.”

“Amelia’s due here any minute, Tristan. You don’t want a third wheel.” Cas pulled away and tried to leave.

Sam got in front of him again. “I don’t care. I’m such an idiot sometimes. It took weeks of pleading and tricking and bargaining to get Amelia to agree to coffee. What kind of relationship is that?”

“At least you have hope. There’s a light at the end of your tunnel.” Cas tried to get around Sam again, and once again, Sam blocked him.

“Why go through the tunnel? I’m already standing in a much better light. I’m so sorry, Jake. It took nearly losing that light to see what was always right in front of me.”

“Tristan…?”

“You, Cas. I love you. You’re always there for me, always have my back. I can’t imagine my life without you.” Sam reached up and took Cas’s face between his hands. “I love you.” He kissed Cas.

Cas didn’t hesitate before kissing back, and the boys kept kissing until Crowley called cut. Cas pulled back and smiled at Sam. “I feel sorry for Jake. Tristan’s got nothing on you.”

Crowley buried his face in a hand. “Tell me our lives did not just become a real-world romantic comedy.”

“Sorry, but that’s exactly what happened. Cas and I are together now.” Cheers went up around the room.

“Bollocks.” Crowley shook his head. “Everyone take your places. If the real-life drama’s over, we need to do this again.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are awesome and actual sunshine!


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